Tuesday, December 2, 2008

use your Right to NOT vote


I was listening to one of the common debates these days - should we blame the government?
Its we who elect them, then why on earth should we blame them? Valid point!

Now, what could be done? Choose your rulers wisely! sigh, the problem is right there! We chose someone from the lil lot we have! What if we dont like anyone who is competing? What if we consider every candidate a looser? What if all major political parties give us their worst people?

All these questions where running through my mind when I visited my friend. The answer was right there in his post.

So what is it?

As per the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1969 Act, in Section 49-O, a person can go to the polling booth, confirm his identity, get his finger marked, and convey to the presiding election officer that he/she doesn’t want to vote for anyone! 

As seen on a government site: 

41. If an elector, after his electoral roll number has been duly entered in the Register of Voters (Form 17A) and he has put his signature/thumb impression on that register, decides not to record his vote, he shall not be forced or compelled to record his vote. A remark to the effect that he has decided not to record his vote shall be made in the remarks column against the entry relating to 116 him in the Register of Voters by the Presiding Officer and the signature or thumb impression of the elector shall be obtained against such remark under rule 49-O. It shall, however, not be necessary to make any change in the serial number of the elector or of the succeeding electors column 1 of the Register of Voters.

If you think none of the candidates at the ward / constituency are able enough to lead the community, you can always opt not to vote. If you will use this right of yours you may start a new trend in our electoral process, which will further strengthen our democracy.

How does it help?
In a ward or constituency, if a candidate wins, say by ’xyz’ votes, and that particular ward has received "49-O" votes more than 'xyz', then that polling will be cancelled and will have to be re-polled.Not only that, the candidature of the contestants will be removed and they cannot contest the re-polling, since people have already expressed their decision on them. This would bring fear into parties and hence look for genuine candidates for their parties for election.


So next time its election, do visit the polling booth. India's future is in out hands.. Show the political parties that its WE, THE COMMON PEOPLE, who elect them and put them to power. Their strength is OUR faith in them and will power. Its time WE take a decision, for our own good, for the good of the nation. Use your rights.

36 comments:

vinny said...

Thanks ST, thanks Sawan...amazing hidden powers we have!

Keshi said...

do u know I never voted in any elections. cos I always chose the same option. I dun believe in any politicians. And I dun like politics anyways.

I hv always known this. Amazing how some ppl dunno that u dont HAVE to vote.

Keshi.

Phoenix said...

voting is the only way we can get the politicians wake up and consider us as an entity and not as a vote bank object....

i hope we all exercise our right to vote correctly

Arunima said...

hey thanks for sharing this important information....I was not aware of it.
But its a powerful tool & can get lots of positive results if we exercise it.

Keshi said...

Phoenix thats right but wut if we dont like/trust any of the candidates?

Keshi.

Anil Sawan said...

@Vin: True.

Anil Sawan said...

@Keshi: Dear, I am not sure if you got me right here! I said you have to be in the polling station and cast your vote to NOBODY! Its a special section inside the "conduct for votings" of Indian Government.

Anil Sawan said...

@Phoenix: Agree with you, but that doesnt mean that we choose the best among the available ba****ds!

Anil Sawan said...

@Arunima: I bet, we would!

Anil Sawan said...

@Keshi: Valid question. Its here that we could exercise this option in voting which is mentioned in the post.

Yamini Meduri said...

hey frnd...

i got to know abt the 49-0 very recently....i think this much better than electing someone who is not qualified for the post.

but the thing is that there is not much awareness about this in the public. my pappa doesnt know abt it until i said to him.

so first the awareness is to be created.

Anil Sawan said...

@dil ki pyar: thats exactly what we are trying to do :-)

Cecilia said...

hmm..good point..we do have to pick amongst very few likely ..or probably all unfit candidates..would we want to stand up then? surprisingly none of us would want to stand for elections..:)

Me said...

When we do not have much to choose from, this is the only act we can turn to...

thanks for sharing it.

Unknown said...

Whoa! Interesting stuff here. I wouldnt have know this otherwise.

lukkydivz said...

last year i used my voting right without even knowing who is who :|
i guess i should blame myself :|

thanks for the info annu!!

Scattered Thoughts... said...

sawan - we need to think, what else we can do to spread this stuff.. as we can see, most of the people do not really know about it, but after knowing, they all agree on it.. news papers seems to be best bet, and then there are magazines like India Today, Outlook etc. In offices, if we have "public board" , "speak up" or "grape vine" kind of systems, we can put it there.. you know in the common rooms, cafeteria etc. what say ?

Priya Joyce said...

we vote..bad go worse come..then worst come..uh!...sometymes I feel...y ppl vote at all..but then..I think may be this tym some miracle will happen..huh!
lets hope for the best ..ni way I still don't vote,,I am 17

Anil Sawan said...

@Cecilia: welcome here.. there is no surprise in people being hesitant to run politics - deep in their mind, every one knows its not an easy job. criticizing is much easier.

Anil Sawan said...

@Harshitha: You are always welcome. Lets fight this together.

Anil Sawan said...

@writing: welcome here. news like this is made to share!

Anil Sawan said...

@divz: anytime dear.. its the most powerful thing weve got, the power to vote. never ever misuse it.

Anil Sawan said...

@scattered thoughts: uve got a point there. should try that as well..

Anil Sawan said...

@priya: m sure your vote would save the country. every vote counts. congratz in advance for your next birthday! you are gona be a certified adult!

Scattered Thoughts... said...

sawan - these comments are posted on my blog so how it is supposed to appear here ;)) overloaded with work.. duh!!

Anil Sawan said...

hehe overloaded indeed..

Anil Sawan said...

scattered thoughts, if it continues to be like this, u shall soon find me in some asylum :-(

Keshi said...

**cast your vote to NOBODY!

thats what I meant too. :)

Keshi.

Anil Sawan said...

@Keshi: haa.. this time atlst we could tell them that we are the ones who choose them!

Scattered Thoughts... said...

sawan - never mind... its in the air :))

Scattered Thoughts... said...

sawan - we came to know about a secret diary of yours.. when are we going to see some pearls from there.. :)

Anil Sawan said...

@ST: secret diary? lol.. come home one day, u shall sure have a glimpse of it :-))

athi said...

my dad very gladly used this power recently.. i was wondering y nebody wud want to go to d booth to vote against noone.Ur post threw some light on the same.

N wen m I getting to c ur secret dairy? :P

Scattered Thoughts... said...

sawan - I am surely gonna visit to you when next time I am in Hyd.. and did you see the comments on vin's post.. are you in? we need to think over it buddy..

Anil Sawan said...

@athi: anyttime girle. Now that you know the way, you are welcome home anytime :)

Anil Sawan said...

@ST: I am going right there